Ceremony Date

Washington State marriage licenses become valid for use on the third day following application and are then valid for 60 days. For example, if an application is made on Wednesday, the first day the marriage license can be used is Saturday and the last day it can be used is 60 days later.

The wedding ceremony must take place within this period; if not, the couple will need to apply for a new marriage license.

Under no circumstances can the three-day waiting period be waived.

If a couple applies for their marriage license less than three days before their established wedding date, they will need to have a separate ceremony within the period the license is valid (in which the parties assent or declare, in the physical presence of the officiant and at least two attending witnesses, that they take each other to be spouses). The marriage license forms will be completed and signed using this date.

A Washington State marriage license can be used to get married only within Washington State. A wedding ceremony on a boat must be in Washington waters.

A marriage license purchased from any county in Washington State can be used to get married anywhere in Washington State. The permanent record of the marriage certificate will be recorded with the county from which the marriage license was purchased.

The applicant is legally emancipated and takes the court-certified copy of the emancipation document with them to apply.

Under Age 17

Parties under age 17 can apply only when the age requirement is waived by a superior court judge of the county in which one of the parties resides. Each party to the marriage that is under 17 years of age must present a waiver specifically naming them.

Residency and Citizenship Requirements

Marriage license applicants do not have to reside in Washington State.

A marriage license purchased from any county in Washington State can be used to get married anywhere in Washington State.

Applicants do not have to apply for their marriage license in the county in which they reside.

Applicants do not have to apply for their marriage license in the county where the wedding ceremony will take place.

A marriage license purchased in Washington State cannot be used to get married in another state or country.

Applicants are not required to have a U.S. Social Security number in order to obtain a marriage license. However, one of the marriage license forms requires the inclusion of one's Social Security number OR the applicant's signature on a declaration that they do not have a U.S. Social Security number. This will not impair the couple's ability to receive their marriage license.

Note: Personal checks, cashier's checks, money orders, or cash (in-person only) are accepted forms of payment. Check should be made payable to King County Recorders. Starter checks are not acceptable. Please include a current return address on all correspondence.

Marriage application fees = $64 per couple

Apply in Person

*The following are acceptable forms of identification: US passport, US passport card, US military ID, Permanent resident card, Driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) or foreign gov't issued passport.

Both parties will go to any one of our sites (listed below), bring *photo ID and pay the $64 fee and complete the application. The license will be issued at that time but does not become valid until a three-day waiting period has expired.

NOT required to apply: witnesses, blood tests, birth certificates (unless applicant is under 18), or divorce papers (divorce must be final and filed).

Both affidavit sections must be completed (using current, full, legal names), signed and notarized, and the original document sent to King County Marriage Licensing.

Send completed and notarized application, along with a $64 payment (see fees above for accepted forms of payment). No cash. Mail to the Seattle/Downtown Licensing Office:

King County Marriage Licensing

King County Administration Building

500 Fourth Ave., Suite 430

Seattle, WA 98104

If an application is mailed, the marriage license must be picked up at our downtown Seattle office; it will not be mailed.

Notice: To verify whether your marriage application or certificate has been processed, please perform a search in our Records Search application. If you applied by mail and your record shows “Application – Marriage License” then you can come to the King County Recorder's Office, located in downtown Seattle, to pick up your marriage packet. If your record shows “Certificate – Marriage License” then you can request for a certified copy.

State law prescribes who can perform a marriage ceremony: active and retired Supreme Court justices, Court of Appeals judges, Superior Court judges, Superior Court commissioners, and judges of courts of limited jurisdiction, as well as any regularly licensed or ordained minister or priest of any church or religious denomination. See Chapter 26.04 RCW for a complete list.

Ministers from any state may perform marriage ceremonies, but the ceremony must be performed in the State of Washington. Neither the bride nor the groom may perform the ceremony.

To schedule a wedding with a judge click on the links below for instructions and contact information:

A Washington State marriage license is not valid for use outside of Washington State.

If you plan to marry in another state or country, you will need to apply for its marriage license and comply with their laws for getting married.

In order for your marriage to be recognized in Washington State as a lawful union, you must be married according to the laws governing the location at which you were married, including the completion and filing of permanent marriage records, and it cannot fall within the prohibited marriages listed in the Revised Code of Washington.

Obtaining certified copies of the permanent marriage record, including certified translation into English, if necessary, will prove that you were lawfully married in that location. You can, but are not required to, record that document as a safeguard against loss with King County Records.

Download form, complete and mail to the King County Marriage Records office

Certified copies are generally mailed within 10 business days.

To verify whether your marriage application or certificate has been processed, please perform a search in our Records Search application. If you applied by mail and your record shows “Application – Marriage License” then you can come to the King County Recorder's Office, located in downtown Seattle, to pick up your marriage packet. If your record shows “Certificate – Marriage License” then you can request for a certified copy.